i NTP Reo HGURE DRAWING FOR ALLITS WORTHDEDICATION TO THE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN OF THE UNITED STATES WHO HAVE TURNED TO THE DRAWING OF THE HUMAN FIGURE AS A MEANS OF LIVELIHOOD. THIS VOLUME IS RESPECTFULLY DEDICATEDCONTENTS, INCLUDING ILLUSTRATIONS AN OPENING CHAT I. THE APPROACH] TO FIGURE DRAWING Observe Your Surroundings The Nude as a Basis What Is Line? Beginners’ Work ILLUSTRATIONS Ideal Proportion, Male Ideal Proportion, Female Various Standards of Proportion Ideal Proportions at Various Ages The Flat Diagram ‘The Flat Diagram Quick Set-up of Proportions Proportions by Arcs and Head Units Proportion in Relation to the Horizon The John and Mary Problems Finding Proportion at Any Spot in Your Picture Hanging” Figures on the Horizon We Begin to Draw: First the Mannikin Frame Movement in the Mannikin Frame Details of the Mannikin Frame Experimenting with the Mannikin Frame Outlines in Relation to Solid Form The Mannikin Figure ILLUSTRATIONS Adding Bulk to the Frame Adding Perspective to the Solid Mannikin Ares of Movement in Perspective Placing the Mannikin at Any Spot or Level 37 39 40 4L 42, 43, & a7CONTENTS, INCLUDING ILLUSTRATIONS Drawing the Mannikin from Any Viewpoint 48 Combining Arcs of Movement with the Box 49 Landmarks You Should Know 50 Landmarks You Should Know 51 Sketching the Figure in Action from Imagination 52 Draw Some of These, But Draw Many of Your Own 53 The Female Mannikin 34 Sketches 55, The Male and Female Skeletons 56 Il. THE BONES AND MUSCLES 87 Requirements of Successful Figure Drawing 58 ILLUSTRATIONS Important Bones 50 Muscles on the Front of the Figure 60 Muscles on the Back of the Figure 61 Muscles of the Arm, Front View 62 Muscles of the Arm, Varied Views 6 Muscles of the Leg, Front View 64 Muscles of the Leg, Back and Side View 65 Now Just Play with What You Have Learned 66 Try Building Migures without Model or Copy 67 I. BLOCK FORMS, PLANES, FKORESHORTENING, AND LIGHTING 68 Foreshertening and Lighting 69 muvstmations Block Forms Help to Decelep Your Sense of Bulk 70 Feel Free to invent Your Own Blocks How To Use an Art-Store Wooden Munnikin Quick Sketches jrom the Wooden Mannikin Foreshortening a Some Pen Sketches for Foreshortening Planes 76 Planes i Lighting . 78CONTENTS, INCLUDING ILLUSTRATIONS Lighting 79 Simple Lighting on the Figure 80 True Modeling of Rounded Form él IV. DRAWING THE LIVE FIGURE; METHODS OF PROCEDURE 82 sLLuSTRATIONS Grouping Shadow Masses 83 The Main Values Stated 84 The Fast Statement of Values 85 Procedure 86 Procedure 87 The Visual-Survey Procedure 88 Drawing from the Model 89 V. THE STANDING FIGURE ol Variety in the Standing Pose 92 ILLUSTRATIONS The Weight on One Foot 98 Distributed Weight 94 There Are, Many Ways of Standing 95 Shadow Defines Form 96 The Nearly Front Lighting 97 Building from the Skeleton 98 Accenting the Form 99 Anatomy Test 100 A Typical Problem 101 VI. THE FIGURE IN ACTION: TURNING AND TWISTING 103, uusraarions Turning and Twisting 104 Turning and Twisting 105 Turning and Twisting 106 Turning and Twisting 107 Turning and Twisting 108 Turning and Twisting 109 Penline and Pencil . 110CONTENTS, INCLUDING ILLUSTRATIONS A Good Method for Newspaper Reproduction uu Quick Sketching with Pen and Pencil 12 A Typical Problem 113 VIL FORWARD MOVEMENT: THE TIPPED LINE OF BALANCE us ‘The Mechanics of Movement U6 ILLUSTNATIONS Snapshots of Walking Poses 18, ‘Snapshots of Running Poses ug The Tipped Line of Balance 120 Springlike Movement 121 Action Too Fast for the Eye 122 Twisted Forward Movement 123 Movement Head to Toe 124 Fast Movement 125 Push of the Back Leg 126 A Typical Problem qT VII. BALANCE, RHYTHM, RENDERING 129 ILLUSTRATIONS Balance 130 Balance 131 Two Methods of Approach 132 Defining Form with Just Tone and Accent 133 Stressing Construction 134 Two Minute Studies 185 Rhythm 186 Rhythm 137 ILLUSTRATIONS Rhythm 138 Crossing Lines of Rhythm 189 “Sweep” 140 Relating One Contour to Another 141 Defining by Edges and Shadow without Outline 142, A Typical Problem 43, 10CONTENTS, INCLUDING ILLUSTRATIONS IX. THE KNEELING, CROUCHING, SITTING FIGURE 148 ILLUSTRATIONS Grouching 146 The Incomplete Statement May Be Interesting uz Point Technique us Planning a Pen Drawing 149 Kneeling and Sitting 150 Kneeling and Twisting or Beraling 151 Getting Full Value Range with Ink and Pencil 152 Ink and Pencil in Combination 153 Pen Drawing 154 A“ Looser” Treatmont 155 Fine Point Brush Drawing 156 A Typical Problem 187 X. THE RECLINING FIGURE 159 ILLUSTRATIONS Sketches of Reclining Poses 160 Study I6L Coarse Grain Paper Studies 164 Study in Foreshortening 165 Cemented Tissue Overlay, Spatter and Brush Drawing, 166 Pen Studios 168 A Typical Problem 169 ‘XI. THE HEAD, HANDS, AND FEET Iv ILLUSTRATIONS Head Building 7 Blocks and Planes 73 Bones and Muscles of the Head m4 The Muscles in Light and Shadow 175 Features 176 Setting the Features into the Head a7 Studies 178 Studies of Miss“G” 179 Young and Old 180 1CONTENTS, INCLUDING ILLUSTRATIONS Make Studies Like These of Your Friends Proportion of the Baby Head Buby Heads Hands Hands The Foot A Typical Problem XI. THE COMPLETE FIGURE IN COSTUME ILLUSTRATIONS Draw Figure, Then Costume Clothing Studied from Lije Rendering Drapery Draw the Halftones and Shadows Elimination and Subordination Study from Life Brush and Spatter Illustration A Typical Problem CLOSING CHAT How Artists Work Running Your Studio About Your Prices Introducing Yourself Do It Your Way 12, 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 189 190 191 192 198 194 195 196 187 199 201 202, 203, 204AN OPENING CHAT Dean Reaper: For many years the ned of a further book on the subject of figure drawing has becn apparent to me, I have waited for such a book to appear which could be recommended to the inany young artists with whom T have come in con- tact. Finally, Thave come to the realization that such a book, regardless of one’s ability as an author, conld be written oly by « man actually in the field of commercial art, who in his experi- ence had met and countered with the actual problems that must be clarified. I recall how frantically, in the eaalier days of mny own experi- ence, I searched for practical information that might lend a helping hand in making my work marketable, Being in the not unusual position of having to support myself, it was the predica- ment of having to make good at art or being forced to turn to something else. Across this wide country there are many of you in that predicament. You, also possessed of that unaccountable urge which seemingly comes from nowhere, want to speak the language of art, You love to draw. You wish to draw well. If there fs any chance, you greatly wish to make a living att, Perhaps I can help you. I sincerely hope so, for 1 think T have lived through every minute you are now living. Perhaps I ean compile some Of the information that experience tells me you want and need. I do not protend to undervalue the fine work that has been done; the difficulty has always been in finding it and sorting out what is of practical value and putting it into practice. I believe that the greater chances of success lie in the mental approach to the work, rather than in sheer technical knowledge, and since the mental approach has not often been stressed, here lies the opportunity to serve you. Inot only assume that my reader is interested 15, in drawing but that he wishes from his toes up tobcoome an efficient and self-supporting cralts- man. T assume that the desire to express your self with pen and pencil is not only urgent but almost undeniable, and that you feel you mustdo something about it. 1 feel that talent means little unless coupled with an insatiable desire to give an oxcellent personal demonstration of ability. 1 feel also that talent must be in company with a capacity for unlimited effort, which provides the power that eventually hurdles the difficul- tics that would frustrate lukewarm enthusiast, Let us try to define that quality which makes an artist “tick.” Every bit of work he does starts out with the premise that ithas a message, a pur pose, a job to do, Whatis the most direct answer, the simplest interpretation of that message he can make? Stripping a subject to its barest and most efficient essentials is a mental procedure. Every inch of the surface of his work should be considered as to whether it bears important re- lationship to a whole purpose. He sees, and his picture tells us the importance of what he sees and how he feels about it. Then within his pic- ture he stresses what is of greatest importance, and subordinates what must be there but is of lesser importance. He will place his area of great- est contrast about the head of the most im- portant character, He will search diligently for means to make that character express the emo- tion in facial expression and pose that is to be the all important theme. He will first draw at- tention to that character, by every means avail- able. In other words, he plans and thinks, and does not passively accept simply because it ex- ists. Not far back in the annals of art the ability to achieve just a lifelike appearance might have caused some wonder in a spectator, enough to